Countdown

I’ve never been the cross the days off the calendar type of gal, but I’m getting dangerously close to that point right now. Two official countdowns going on in my mind– six days until school starts and ten days until my surgery. This last week before school starts is usually long and short at the same time– long because it is the last week and we’re all ready for them to get back to school, yet short as we try to squeeze in every last bit of fun. One afternoon already this week, I spent some time at the hospital, getting ready for that second countdown. Once again, I answered a battery of questions (Do I have heart problems? Do I have kidney problems? Has anyone ever noticed that I stop breathing when I sleep?) all with a “no,” and was thrilled to be able to say that I am taking no medication at all. The nurse remarked that I was easy, so healthy. Well, healthy except for that pesky cancer. Anyway, after a quick blood draw, I was on my way home, ready for next week’s surgery. I go back and forth, questioning the wisdom of scheduling surgery for the first week of school, but really, I am so eager to have this finished that it would have been a struggle to wait any longer.

This procedure will be outpatient, and since I’m the first procedure of the morning, I should be able to beat the kids home and maybe even get a nap, too. The recovery isn’t supposed to be too bad, all of the muscle cutting/rearranging/stretching has already happened, and that’s the painful part. This is just a swap out– trading the tissue expanders (which have done their job but I hate) out for my “real fake boobs,” the implants that are my final step in the road to normalcy. I’m also having a little bit of liposuction, oh yes, ladies, you can be jealous, for fat grafting– he’ll use that extra fat to strengthen weak skin and give me a more natural appearance overall. I’m sure I’ll have some lifting and exercise restrictions (and I’ll be in all that lovely compression gear) for at least a month or so, but my doctor said I can expect to be pretty much recovered in a week. Which is good, because as soon as school’s in session, my calendar really starts to fill up, and I’m looking forward to a fun, and healthy, school year!

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Published by Jamie

A breast cancer researcher turned stay at home mom turned breast cancer patient, I'm navigating my way through cancer treatments and my quest for normalcy in its aftermath. Sometimes normal is hard, and sometimes it's as simple as going for a run, throwing on some lipstick, and heading out to chemo. Follow along at runlipstickchemo.com
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